Sarah rice administratrix



l(No Model.) l

RICE, Decd.

S. RICE, Administratrix.

MUSIG CHART. No. 383,011. Patented Manyl 15, 1888.

#A umn u N. PETERSr PnowLilhugmpner. washington. D. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GERRETT S. RICE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; SARAH RICE ADMINISTRATRIX OF SAIDGERRET'I S. RICE, DECEASED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 383,011, dated May 15,1888.

(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEREET'I S. RICE, a citizen of theUnitedStates,residing in Chicago, in the State of Illinois, have invented anew and useful Means of Indicatng to the Mind of the Performer all theChords, Combinations, Positions, and Inversions possible under any givenkey or letter of the scale or accidentals that can occur outside of thegiven key, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in using signs or symbols of a peculiar characteror form in connection with the scale intervals, as will hereinafterappear. I place these signs or sy mbols on any convenient or movableattachment of convenient form or shape, together with the key, scale orinterval, names or syllables, all properly spaced, with all whole andhalf steps indicated and marked from a given set-point or key-note.

Figure 1 is a plan of the key-board of any keyed instrument, showing mymovable attachment placed thereon. Fig. 2 is a few measures of a sampletune with the harmonic changes shown by the symbols below. Fig. 3 is thesame as Fig. 1, with slight variations, as will hereinafter appear.

My attachment can be applied to any keyboard instrument.

A A are the white keys of any key-board, and B are the black keys. Atthe rear of the keys I place my recording attachment C C, upon which areshown all the diatonic intervals of any given key--maj or or minor-measured off in exact distances from the given keynote or set-point. Eachkey or scale interval is surrounded or has placed near it one or moresigns or symbols, said signs or symbols revealing all of the harmoniesor chords in which said note can be used, together with all bassesandinversions, and also all proper tenor, alto, and other parts.

Eis a common key-index, permanently or otherwise attached to theinstrument, alongside of which is placed my attachment.

To particularly illustrate, given the key of C, place the point lopposite the key-note C, which instantly brings every interval ornoteindicator with its proper symbol over or in position to indicate alltheintervals and combinations of the given key C. Under the setkey KAare found the circular and diamond formed symbols. These two forms ofsymbols indicate on the recording attachment every note in harmony withthe given note C, which may be played in combination with said note C atpleasure. The reason why these two symbols are found under C is that Cis one (l) or eight (8) of the key, and always exists in twoharmonies.rlhe circle-symbols indicate that this note C or one (l) may be playedin Acombination with all other letters or notes marked with a circlesign. The same may be said of the diamondshaped symbols. It will also beobserved that nearly all the different symbols are surrounded by acircle in light line, and that the other circles are in heavy line. Theheavy lines are the circle-symbols, previously referred to, and thelight-lined circle arepins upon which are placed the symbol desired. Thepins may or may not be used at pleasure. Ihese pins are placed in theattachment, which is placed over the key-board, and in the act ofplaying these pins are or may be struck in place of the keys, which actforces them down onto the key with the same effect as though the keyswere struck directly by the player.

P I is the temporary attachment placed over the key-board and providedwith the pins referred to, upon which are marked the symbols.

I will now refer to another nu mber, note, or scale interval in this keyof C-for instance, No. 2. Under this number is found another symbol insquare form. In glancing over the attachment the player instantly graspsin his mind every note in harmony in this dominant combination, as everynumber surrounded with a square is a note in perfect harmony with thisnumber, 2, and every harmony has a root-base. The three symbols I employindicate the three ruling harmonies of all keys in all of the variouspositions, inversions, and combinations. These harmonies are known asthe tonicj7 indicated by C) (circle5) the sub-dominant7 by O (diamonth)dominant77 indicated by El (square.) In these three different har-Inonies all the notes or intervals of every key are embraced, and incircle one (l) is the rootbase, in the diamond four (at) is theroot-base, in the square five (5) is the root base. I will now movethekey-indicator K to anotherkey say D. The same identical laws prevailas previously described. Every note that can be used in this key of D isindicated at once on the attachment and each indicated sign is over thekey to be struck. So on with every change of position of indicator' K.By the use of these attachments there is instantly indicated to theperformer all ofthe diatonic intervals of` every key, with all thepossible harmonies of each interval, also the base, tenor, alto, andtreble.

Vhen the performer does not wish to use the root-base, he can use theinversions, which are plainly marked on the attachment. To illustratethis we will return to the key of C, shown in the figures. One (l) isthe root-base of the tonicharmonies, marked by circles, while three (3)Would be the iirst inversion and [ive (5) would be the second inversion.Five (5) is the root-base of the dominant family marked withsquare-symbol, and seven (7) is first in version, two (2) is the secondinversion, and four (4) is the third inversion ofthe same, all of whichis plainly indicated on the base end ofthe attachment. In the minor keythe same identical laws prevail, except the minor third and minor sixth(indicated by m3 and m) must be played instead of the regular majorthird and major sixth. Position of the chords in any ofthe variousfamilies are instantly determined by the location of the root symbol,which is placed at and to the right of indicator K. Thus one, (1,)three, (3,) and tive (5)show the first position of the tonic harmony,all of which are shown by the circlesymbols. In

case of another family of symbols as, for inY stance, the squares-seven,(7,) two, (2,), four,

(4,) and tive (5) show the second pcsition ot' the dominant seventhfamily, the root ve (5) being plainly shown in top row. The applicationof this process in playing tunes is illustrated in Fig. 2. Thekey-indicator K would be set to the key-note of the tune. In theillustration, there being` no tlats or sharps shows the key to be G. Therst note in the tune is the third above the keynote. Referring to theindicator, we find the third indicated bythe circle. The base of thisnote would be indicated by a circle, the lowest of which on the base isone (l) in the root-base. The tirst like sign below this note 3', or anygiven note, indicates the alto, the second like sign below indicates thetenor. The circle harmony prevails until the harmonic family changes, asshown by the diamondvsymbcl; and this corr tinues until another changeoccurs in the harmonic family, which is indicated by the circle, Sie.

A movable chart or indicator capable ci" being placed on the key-boardof any instrument, provided with signs and symbols ol' dillerent shapesand forms arranged in the man ner described, to represent the respectiveharmonic families, and properly spaced, in combination with akey-indicator permanently attached thereto, all constructed andopcratiugsubstan-

